Copyright M Live Michigan
JACKSON, MI — The city of Jackson is another step closer to getting a grocery store on its south side. In a Tuesday, Oct. 28 meeting, the Jackson City Council unanimously voted to purchase 1.5 acres of land from Consumers Energy for $90,000 on the corner of Cooper and Biddle streets. It’s planned for the property to be combined with a city-owned lot, creating a 5.1-acre site for development. Since February, the city has been working to develop the land to bring access to fresh food and grocery to the area. Residents living on the southside and other neighborhoods of the city lack access to a major grocery store within city limits, affecting the residents’ quality of life. “This is a great opportunity to put a major grocery store on the southside of Jackson, but also right in a walkable area from downtown and from the eastside,” Chief Equity Officer John Willis said. The city has been in conversations with a developer, who has not yet been named, Willis said. After the sale, a development deal will follow. Willis hopes to have one front of City Council at their next meeting. The sale includes not only the land, but also a $150,000 contribution from Consumers Energy toward site remediation costs. This will complement a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Brownfield grant, funding used for reuse of blighted and contaminated properties, that the city is pursuing for site preparation, according to a memo to City Council. The city has already completed Phase I and Phase II of environmental testing through Fishbeck. Environmental. Commitments include excavating soils and debris, with disposal at a type II municipal landfill, a solid waste landfill. The Cooper Street site became the city’s preferred location after discussions with other grocers. In 2022, Jackson purchased vacant land at Prospect Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for $60,000, hoping to attract a store. However, the smaller 1.3-acre site could only support a 15,000- to 20,000-square-foot-store, while the Cooper Street can offer space for a 38,000 to 50,000 square-foot building, according to the city’s development package. Willis previously said local grocers cited several requirements that made the Cooper Street site a viable location, including traffic volume, resident density and access for 65-foot trucks. It also has walkable access to multiple Jackson neighborhoods. For many southside residents, the closest grocer is Kroger on Argyle Street, Polly’s Country Market on Spring Arbor Road, Meijer on E. Michigan Avenue and Aldi on E. Michigan Avenue. “We look forward to the next steps in this process of a slow turning ship to bring back a grocery store to this part of the community,” Mayor Daniel Mahoney said.
